Rainbow trout farm in Avalanche: Restarts a 100-year-old tradition

Pink rhododendron blooms at Avalanche. Shot On OnePlus #FramesofIndia
| Photo Credit: Ok Jeshi

Clear blue waters, rolling grasslands, and lovely pink rhododendron blooms abound. That’s Avalanche, a lovely blue lake situated 28 kilometres from Udhagamandalam in The Nilgiris. After a 45-minute drive alongside rain-washed valleys, and sprawling tea estates, we’re on the Avalanche Trout Hatchery & Farm, thrilled to catch a glimpse of the unique rainbow trout, a chilly water fish that thrives in clear, wholesome mountain streams and lakes in North America, however now farmed globally.

A completely-grown rainbow trout
| Photo Credit:
SATHYAMOORTHY M

As we stand by the pond, wide-eyed, the trout makes an look. It is shimmering in colors of the rainbow, sporting crimson gills and twinkling eyes. The hatchery, developed by pisciculture professional Henry Charlton Wilson manner again in 1907, has been lately renovated and is used for hatching the ‘eyed ova’ of rainbow trout yearly. The fingerlings, let in higher reaches of contemporary water streams in The Nilgiris, replenishes pure inventory of trout.

Kousalya Devi S, Assistant Director of Fisheries on the hatchery in Avalanche
| Photo Credit:
SATHYAMOORTHY M

“It was European settlers who attempted to introduce trout in the pristine streams here in the 19th century,” says Kousalya Devi S, Assistant Director of Fisheries. It was maybe the Nilgiris Game Fishing Association, which took the initiative of stocking the streams of the Blue Mountains and threw them open to fishing and angling. It has been documented that from 1866 to 1906, a number of makes an attempt had been made to convey eyed ova of trout from numerous international locations, however the efforts failed.

“In 1906, when the then Governor of the State sought the services of Henry Charlton Wilson, he initiated the development of trout fishery in The Nilgiris on a scientific basis. He surveyed the entire district and selected Avalanche stream as the best suited place for a trout hatchery. Hatching technology using artificial breeding was standardised at the lab here,” she says including that the primary batch of trout from New Zealand was hatched efficiently right here. In 1943, 25,000 eyed ova had been introduced from Sri Lanka whereas in 1960 one other 20,00 got here from Kashmir. In 1974, as many as 10,000 ova of albino rainbow trout had been introduced as a reward and launched in the hatchery.

Trout fingerlings on the hatchery. Shot On OnePlus #FramesofIndia
| Photo Credit:
Ok Jeshi

“The rainbow-tinted body looks magical as it swirls around in running fresh water,” says Kousalya including that they collected three lakh trout eggs in eyed ova stage from Asia’s largest trout farm in Kashmir. “By bringing eggs from Kashmir, we have restarted a tradition that has its origins some 100 years ago. It’s an 18-day-old ova. In this stage, it can survive for four days without water during which we air transport the boxes. As October to February is the breeding season, we made two trips to Kashmir to collect the best eggs,” she explains.

In India, on account of climate constraints, trout farming is restricted to the higher Himalayan area and the Western Ghats. The hydro electrical reservoirs are significantly appropriate as trout thrive in wholesome contemporary waters and in temperatures between 0 to twenty levels Celsius. It can not flourish in standing water and will need to have entry to perennially flowing waters. “The Forest Protection Act (1972) brought a dramatic shift in trout fishery. The water streams of hydroelectric power projects, like Mukurthi Reservoir earmarked as ‘carp waters’ (another variety of fish) and ‘trout waters’ where these fish varieties thrived, became out of bounds,” says Kousalya including that it diminished the hatchery to a mere heritage construction.

A brand new lease of life

A proposal with the Special Area Development Project for replenishing trout shares has now given it a contemporary lease of life. “We sourced high protein pellets in varying sizes for different stages to ensure better survival. The fish is also cannibalistic, so only the fittest survive. Of the three lakh eggs, the survival rate has been 55 per cent,” explains Kousalya.

High protein pellets in various sizes are used as feed for various phases. Shot On OnePlus #FramesofIndia
| Photo Credit:
Ok Jeshi

While in Kashmir, trout farming in the yard is a huge draw amongst vacationers, the Avalanche hatchery, the one trout hatchery in South India is taking child steps. “Once commercial Recirculatory Aquaculture System is in place, it helps farmers use water judiciously. We still have a long way to go. In Kashmir, tourists stay at guest houses at apple orchards, enjoy trout fishing in the streams in the backyard where the locals also engage in trout culture. Once we standardise seed production, we can choose farms in suitable locations like Korakundah. We can educate and train farmers in commercial trout culture.”

An in depth-up of pink rhododendron. Shot On OnePlus #FramesofIndia
| Photo Credit:
Ok Jeshi

Trout can be wealthy in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, one more reason for its recognition. “The meat is buttery and has a delicate taste. It can be grilled or smoked and is one of the most popular fish in European cuisines,” she says, including, “Trout is an indicative species. When you eat trout, you can be sure that it has come from a place where the environment is still healthy and water is pollution-free.”